Since 2021, all major Covid variants are descendants of Omicron.of 2023-2024 Booster was tailored for Omicron’s XBB.1.5 stock, but JN.1 is as different from XBB.1.5 as Omicron is from Delta. However, researchers around the world China and of we We have posted preliminary analysis suggesting that the latest vaccines still effectively protect against JN.1.
That’s if people continue to get vaccinated, which most people still haven’t.that’s all In the US, 80% of people The CDC reported last week that it has not yet received the updated 2023-2024 booster doses. For young and otherwise healthy people, the risk of developing serious illness is very low. In the absence of widespread public health messaging or updated vaccine requirements, most low-risk Americans ignored the latest booster immunization rollout. In the UK, people at low risk Not eligible Vaccination in the winter of 2023 is simply not possible (and the window for eligible people to receive the vaccine closes at the end of January).
The problem is that “young, healthy people are interacting with people who are at risk, and there’s not enough respect for that,” Topol said. Cameron Wolfe, an infectious disease professor at Duke University, said staying up-to-date on vaccinations is the best way to protect the community, regardless of an individual’s risk level. “If you’re 75 years old and have had a kidney transplant, or your spouse is undergoing chemotherapy, a little extra boost of immunity against COVID-19 can make a big difference.”
The 2023-2024 booster shot won’t be as miraculous as the 2021 first vaccine, but it’s still about as good as you’d expect from a flu shot in general. Although it does not completely prevent infection (and it seems to be no more effective at preventing infection) 6 months), Recent meta-analyses They found promising evidence that the shot could reduce the risk of long-term coronavirus infection by about 70 percent. “We’re going to go from a severe lower respiratory pneumonia-like infection to a mild runny nose,” Wolf said. “This is a victory for vaccines.”
As the pandemic enters its fourth year, we need to know the drill. Check your own personal protection level and risk of infection, be mindful of your community, and act accordingly. “I think we still have a good few weeks left. It’s going to be a busy January,” Wolf said. If you have a big wedding or vacation coming up and you don’t want to get sick, we strongly recommend planning ahead for vaccinations, masks, and testing. “At least get the vaccine. At least make sure you have strong immunity against the worst respiratory illnesses,” Cameron said.
While extra precautions certainly won’t hurt (though they’re still important for high-risk people), so far JN.1 seems to be causing more severe consequences than previous variants. I can’t see it. “On an individual and societal level, we are in a better place than we were four years ago,” Wolf said. “We have forgotten how socially immobile we have become.”
For many people, the severity of the coronavirus has now fallen to about the same level as RSV or the flu, he said. “This is a completely different situation than we faced a few years ago,” Wolf said. “And that’s a win.”